Time capsule

[marlinman93]

Picked this old Ballard up at a local gun shop on a hunch. It was covered in some old crud to protect it for long term storage, and I couldn't tell what the finish might be underneath? But the bore was perfect, as was the wood, and I could see no dings or marks in the metal. Tried to rub a spot to see what was under it, but the crud was like varnish, and only chemicals would remove it!
When I got it home I quickly grabbed some acetone in the garage and rubbed a spot over the caliber marking on the barrel, to see for sure what the caliber was? I knew it was .40 something, but unsure which .40? It turned out to be .40-85 Ballard Everlasting! A very rare caliber for Ballards and first I've owned.
Bad pic, but it was a pitiful looking finish:


You can see here better what the finish looked like around the spot I cleaned. Can also see what the cleaning revealed underneath!


Five hours of cleaning with the wood removed. Using acetone and bronze wool. Had to clean a little just to get it apart, as it was really stuck together! But as I cleaned I got pretty excited at what started to show! An almost perfect Ballard Pacific with close to 100% rust bluing, and nice case colors!





Has a Ballard combination front sight, and a longrange vernier tang sight; plus the standard barrel buckhorn sight.






Had to split the breech blocks to clean inside, and stone the full cock notch. Hammer was so light I could lightly bump the buttplate on the floor and drop the hammer. It's safe now, and wont drop on it's own.
Internally it looks like it was made last week. Everything as new inside Never seen an original Ballard Pacific in this shape, so I was surprised when I saw the cleaning rod thimbles are also case colored. Have had several average or well worn Pacifics, and always thought the bluing had worn off. But these are case colored like receiver and lever. So learned something new about them!

[jnyork]

Outstanding. Congratulations on your good fortune.

[Les Staley]

Wow! That's a beauty for sure! Makes you wonder who put it to bed and how long ago. About how old is it? Is that the "Pacific" model? How does the action strength compare with the Sharps 1874? Sorry for not reading carefully..it IS a Pacific.

[Pete44ru]

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Seek, and ye shall find - Nice work, outstanding find, Val !


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[Sixgun]

I'm a firm believer that some guns that are not yet yours already have your name on them! You were meant to be the owner of that gun. Not sure if guns have a "soul" but there is a higher force that funnels these guns to the individual that is chosen.

It has happened to me too many times to be a coincidence. Right here on Leverguns, the one of a kind prototype Marlin found it's way to me here in Pa. from Cal. Auctions and estate sales that I never intended to go to but at the last minute something weird happened that opened the door for me to go has resulted in dozens of hard to find guns. Walking in a gunshop that I have not been to in 10 years only to have the owner tell me, "this just came in, the best we have had in years".

Good for you Marlinman. Knowledge, perserverance, dedication, and divine wind have paid off. That Ballard is now "home". -----6

[Rube Burrows]

That is pretty nice. Congrats.

[1894]

Another beauty has found its home !
As impressive as it is for a dog to stray 10 , 50 , 100+ miles to show up on a doorstep and say " Hi . I belong here with you. "
You MM have an even more powerful karma / power / magnetism that allows the souls of beautiful old rifles to seek you out
Congratulations

[marlinman93]

Thanks to all! I agree that this has been an especially unique year for some great old guns finding me somehow! I agree with you Sixgun, that something has to be working beyond what I understand! I hope it's goodwill coming back to me, as I try to help others in this hobby, even when it pains me to see something I wish I had found!
As for the age of this Pacific. All Ballards marked JM Marlin on the receiver are pre 1881 when John Marlin incorporated. All after 1881 were marked Marlin Firearms Co. This is the MFA Co. marked version, and since it has a 26xxx serial number, it should date to late 1880's, about 130 years old.
The son of the original owner was the one who coated all the guns to protect them. He is in his late 70's or 80's now, and whatever was applied was done after his father died. Sometimes coatings can actually trap moisture, and promote rust. This stuff was tough, as Hoppes and engine degreaser wouldn't touch it! The acetone worked, but dries quickly, and it would solidify again if I didn't wipe as fast as I wetted it!

[marlinman93]

Made up one mockup cartridge last night. Used a .44-100 Ballard case, and with a good lube it took 7-8 gradual shots through a .40-65 die to begin tapering it down. Then 4-5 steps through a .40-70 Ballard die. After that it had a big ridge 1/4" above the rim, so I spun it up in my lathe and used a mill file to remove the step. Then seated a .410" 310 grain bullet in it, and it dropped in the chamber.
I think once I find cases, I can use the .40-70 Ballard dies to just neck size and seat bullets, rather than buy another set of spendy dies!

[hayabusa]

hayabusa

[Sixgun]

There are not many guys who can make something go "bang" when the last name of the cartridge is "Everlasting". Even I shy away from those rounds that take extreme case forming/lathe turning.......but then again, my focus is on those funny guns with levers and tubular magazines.

The real satisfaction comes when, after figuring out how to get brass........ custom sizing the bullet, getting a load.......and making the loaded round fit, which is usually the hardest part.......then smacking a 10 inch plate at 300 meters.


---------6

[marlinman93]

There are not many guys who can make something go "bang" when the last name of the cartridge is "Everlasting". Even I shy away from those rounds that take extreme case forming/lathe turning.......but then again, my focus is on those funny guns with levers and tubular magazines.

The real satisfaction comes when, after figuring out how to get brass........ custom sizing the bullet, getting a load.......and making the loaded round fit, which is usually the hardest part.......then smacking a 10 inch plate at 300 meters.
---------6

Couldn't have expressed it better myself Sixgun! Hearing a plate ding with any old gun is one of the high points of owning them! Everlasting cartridges bring another glitch to the loading process, as the thick necks often need a little thinning in order to chamber. Or the bullets may fit the case, but be too small for the rifling. Still need to slug this bore, and see if my mock up case will handle a bullet sized to this bore!

[claybob86]

Congratulations! That's a real treasure!

[gamekeeper]

Congratulations! That's a real treasure!

A big plus one to that....

[OldWin]

Nice!

Man, you and Six must live right.

I, on the other hand, must be a puppy drowning Crack dealer.

[M. M. Wright]

Only word I can think of is: Elegant!

Yeah, ding a plate with it or smack some hairy ribs.

[Sixgun]

Nice!

Man, you and Six must live right.

I, on the other hand, must be a puppy drowning Crack dealer.

Jay......cut the bs.....now.......that puppy drowning crack deal in' stuff is for the inner city folk who are registered democrats.

Marlinman,
I have found, especially in 38-55 rifles that are notorious for have tight chambers and fat groove diameters, that if neck turning/thinning does not allow a properly sized and loaded round to chamber, the simplest solution is to simply reduce the case length until the round chambers. It's why I use 30-30 brass for my half dozen or so 38-55's.........the same ammo with the same .379 diameter makes them all run.........it's a wives tale that the short brass will cut the chamber with low pressure loads........I don't shoot a box or two a year from my working guns...more like....well, a lot and I have yet to notice chamber cutting after 40 years.------6

[marlinman93]

I also have found the issue of large bores and chambers that wont accept cases with bullets seated to the bore size. I approach it a little differently. I have a .38-55 mold that is basically a stop ring bullet. The forward band on the bullet is sized to bore size, and seated above the case mouth. It seals the bore when fired, and the smaller bands seat without bulging the cases. Chambers perfectly, and shoots fantastic. But I shoot it in a single shot rifle, so it can be slightly longer, and not have to cycle through a repeater and be restricted as much by OAL.

[Griff]

Great find! And recognizing what it was... I, on other hand would look at that crudded up ol' thaing, and pass right by it!!! Maybe I'll have to start looking closer.

[OldWin]

I also have found the issue of large bores and chambers that wont accept cases with bullets seated to the bore size. I approach it a little differently. I have a .38-55 mold that is basically a stop ring bullet. The forward band on the bullet is sized to bore size, and seated above the case mouth. It seals the bore when fired, and the smaller bands seat without bulging the cases. Chambers perfectly, and shoots fantastic. But I shoot it in a single shot rifle, so it can be slightly longer, and not have to cycle through a repeater and be restricted as much by OAL.

That's pretty slick. I have 5 38-55's, all 1894's of one flavor or another. All I've ever done is shorten them up a mite if there is a chambering issue.
Is it a production mold or one you had made up?



Yes Jack, I've never drowned a puppy or sold crack......but I would if it would get me some of those cool old guns that seem to drop in you guys's laps.

[marlinman93]

That's pretty slick. I have 5 38-55's, all 1894's of one flavor or another. All I've ever done is shorten them up a mite if there is a chambering issue.
Is it a production mold or one you had made up?

Yes and no. It is one of Accurate's catalog molds, but he will custom make the bands to whatever size you want. I just had the top band made to fit my bore.

[OldWin]

Thank you sir!

[marlinman93]

Sent pictures of the new Pacific to a friend who's collected Ballards even longer than I have! He's owned over 200 Ballard Pacific rifles in his life! Wow! Anyway, he wrote back and asked me to check the tang sight height, as he said it appeared to be a rare height. Sure enough, it falls between a midrange vernier, and a longrange vernier! According to my friend it's a rare early midrange vernier, that were in their own staff height, and had the flat top adjusting knob.

[JohndeFresno]

Very, very nice! Great job with the restoration!

[Aussie Chris]

Now that is just cool! Well done sir

Chris

[marlinman93]

Thanks! Got lucky, as it could have had no finish under that crud!

[marlinman93]

Made up ammo for the .40-85 from Hornady 9.3x74R cases. Very easy to make by expanding the @.365" necks in a couple dies to get them out to .410" neck. The length is already perfect, and base is good. Slightly small rims, but they seem to extract reliably. Loaded them up with an RCBS cast 300 gr. bullet lubed with a beeswax/Crisco mix, and 2400 powder. Just needed to fireform them to blow out the middle of the cases.
We headed out yesterday to sight in our guns for elk hunting next month. The last decade I've hunted deer and elk with my old guns, so I chose a Hepburn and a Ballard in .45-70 to sight in with a 506 gr. cast load. Unfortunately the Hepburn hated the heavy bullet, and I never checked twist rate prior to trying it. Guessing it's too slow. Used up all the .45-70 playing with the Hepburn, so never got to the Ballard to try the same load! The Ballard has a fast 1:18" twist Green Mountain barrel, and shoots the 500 grain bullets well, but it's set up for longe range, and don't have 100-200 yd. settings!
I gave up and sighted in my old sporterized 1917 Enfield in .30-06, and like always it's almost boring with it's 1" 100 yd. groups. After that I decided to fireform the 40 rounds of .40-85 I'd built up. Just used the barrel sights on this Pacific, as I didn't expect any good accuracy during fireforming. Shot a half dozen bullets, and checked to see them fill out well, and make very nicely formed cases! Looked through the spotting scope and was surprised with a 4"-5" group! I decided things were going so well, I better get down to business and aim a little better for the remaining shots! I fired another 25 rounds, and kept them all in a 3" group on target! Handed it off to the others to play with, and they all shot almost as tight, except for some surprises when the set triggers surprised some shooters!
So change of plan! The other two guns stay home, and I'll load up another 20 cartridges with the same 300 gr. bullet, and the 2400 load for elk! The new Pacific will get a trial by fire on elk, and hope it shoots as good or better with fully formed brass now!

[Bill in Oregon]

Just incredible. This is my favorite Ballard and in my favorite Ballard chambering.
By the away, Val, next time you find one in goop, get yourself a bottle of Kramer's Antique Restorer. The guys who clean all those nasty Martinis and Gahendras from the Nepal Cache use Kramer's and bronze wool to remove the nastiest "yak fat" known to man with perfect results. Not as unhealthy as acetone. There is a retailer in Portland who carries it.

[marlinman93]

Just incredible. This is my favorite Ballard and in my favorite Ballard chambering.
By the away, Val, next time you find one in goop, get yourself a bottle of Kramer's Antique Restorer. The guys who clean all those nasty Martinis and Gahendras from the Nepal Cache use Kramer's and bronze wool to remove the nastiest "yak fat" known to man with perfect results. Not as unhealthy as acetone. There is a retailer in Portland who carries it.

Thanks so much Bill! Would you maybe know the retailer's name?

[Bill in Oregon]

MM: Woodcrafter's Lumber Sales on NE 6th. I promise you will love the stuff.

[marlinman93]

Thanks! I get down there often, so I'll grab some next trip!